Let's talk about the GSD's chest. The breed standard according to the USCA states:
"The chest should be moderately broad, the lower chest as long and pronounced as possible. The depth of the chest should amount to approx. 45 % to 48 % of the height at the withers."
Here are some questions I have:
Full disclosure- what I really want to talk about is turning ability and how the front end of the dog influences turning ability (especially as it relates to croup angle). But I think before we get to that conversation, it might be wise to understand how the narrowness or wideness of the chest affects things.
"The chest should be moderately broad, the lower chest as long and pronounced as possible. The depth of the chest should amount to approx. 45 % to 48 % of the height at the withers."
Here are some questions I have:
- What part of the dog's conformation defines the chest width? Does the placement of the scapula, and or the length of the humerus give an appearence of a wider/narrower chest? Or is this only a factor of how wide the sternum is?
- What is the function of having a wider/narrower chest?
- Why do we tend to see narrower chests in Highline dogs? Was this a conscous decision or a by product of other conformation decisions?
Full disclosure- what I really want to talk about is turning ability and how the front end of the dog influences turning ability (especially as it relates to croup angle). But I think before we get to that conversation, it might be wise to understand how the narrowness or wideness of the chest affects things.